On The Theme Of Mother-daughter Relationship In Terry Mcmillan's Mama

African American women's literature is an indispensable part of American Literature.During the history of more than 200 years,a number of outstanding black women writers have emerged.They have enriched African American women's literature with their keen observation,profound thoughts and exquisite writing skills.Terry McMillan is an African American woman writer who showed up in the late 1980 s.Her works,aiming to portray the life and concerns of contemporary African American women,closely cope up with the changes of times.With Mama as the study object,this thesis analyzes the sisterly mother-daughter relationship between Mildred and her eldest daughter Freda,reveals the features of contemporary African American mother-daughter relationship and the influences it has on women,as well as explores the underlying reasons for the author's creation of such a harmonious relationship.The thesis consists of six parts: an introduction,four chapters,and conclusion.The introduction part provides background information about Terry McMillan and Mama,and gives an overview of the previous research at home and abroad.Chapter One presents a brief analysis of the theme of mother-daughter relationship in African American literature.Chapter Two analyzes the mother-daughter relationship between Mildred and Freda in Mama.Chapter Three revolves around how the mother-daughter relationship has influenced both the mother and the daughter.Chapter Four explores why Terry McMillan constructs such a kind of mother-daughter relationship in Mama.The last part is the conclusion.By analyzing the mother-daughter relationship between Mildred and Freda,the author concludes that African American mother-daughter relationship is extremely complicated.It plays an important role in African American women's life.A harmonious mother-daughter relationship can benefit them a lot in their growth and development.McMillan endows the characters and the relationship with many new characteristics.McMillan's literary innovation is caused by the changes of the social and literary contexts,as well as her own experiences.